DC Animated Universe:Manual of Style
= Articles = Articles should have the following elements: * Incomplete articles should be given the stub and/or Expand templates. * The first appearance of the articles title within the text should be in bold type. * Words that are themselves titles of additional articles should be linked only on their first occurrence in the article. :Internal links add to the cohesion and utility of DCAU Wiki by allowing readers to deepen their understanding of a topic by conveniently accessing other articles. These links should be included where it is most likely that readers might want to use them; for example, in article leads, the beginnings of new sections, table cells, and image captions. :Adapted from Wikipedia Character Articles Character Template * The Infobox should only contain canon information, i.e., information stated or seen on-screen, or confirmed off-screen. * Unknown information (real names, voice actors, relatives, etc.) should be omitted. Article Body * The first instance of a character's superhero name as well as the first instance of their proper name(s) should be in bold type. * Only information from the DCAU should be included in the main article, with relevant DC Comics information in an appropriate "Background Info" section. Sections A character article should contain the following sections in order: * One to two sentences summarizing who the article is about. This section should come before any section headings. i.e., ::Batman, otherwise known as Bruce Wayne, was a Gotham City vigilante who rose up to fight common criminals, Metahuman threats, and eventually even gods, extradimensional entities and intergalactic tyrants. * History — character's detailed history * Powers & Abilities — describe the character's powers and special abilities. This section may be omitted if the character has no special powers or abilities. * Equipment — describe the character's specialized equipment. This section may be omitted if the character doesn't use any specialized equipment. * Appearances — chronological list of the character's DCAU appearances in a bulleted list. Use sub-headings templates for the series titles and link each episode and movie. (If the list is too long, consider using ) * "Legacy" * "Secret Origins" Featured Movie * Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker * Background Information — this section is for out-of-universe information, notes on production or non-canon information. This section may be omitted where no information exists. * External Links — a section for any links to well-known fan sites, or other sites with information on the character. * (no heading, place categories at the end of the article; preferably alphabetized) Episode/Movie Articles Episode Template * This template should appear at the top of the episode page (when creating a new page), before the sections listed below. If you are unsure of a section, please leave it blank. Sections Episode pages should contain the following sections (and subsections) in order. Where they have quotation marks around them, the precise wording should be followed. * Brief, real world prospective synopsis. For example, "Cold Comfort." * "Plot" **"Act One" **"Act Two" **"Act Three" Exception to the "Act"s. If the episode is already divided into parts, such as "World's Finest," or has its own divisions, such as "Holiday Knights," the natural sub-sections should take precedence over the "Act"s *"Continuity": for references to other episodes. *"Background Information" (Please avoid stating the obvious) **"Production Notes": pieces of information directly related to the production of the episode. **"Production Inconsistencies": this is where goofs can be placed, including animation inconsistencies, as well as character/information inconsistencies with other episodes. **"Trivia": for pieces of information that expand understanding of the program, but are not directly related to the production, such as cultural references and comic book sources. *"Cast" ** The following table should be used as an example: : :*"Uncredited Appearances" (this can be done using a standard list form) *"Quotes": this section should use the appropriate template. For an example of this template in use, check "World's Finest." Also note that character names should be linked upon first appearance, as in the example. Lastly, below the episode browser, we have a category box. For a list of the Categories, . Please refer once more to "World's Finest" for an example of the finished product. = Images = * A picture is better than no picture. Do not remove a picture of a character, item, etc. from an article, even if it doesn't conform to these guidelines unless you replace it or the image is a copyright violation. * Images that are not part of an info box should have a caption (use the "thumb" function in the image tag) :See also: DC Animated Universe:Images Info boxes Images in a character's info box should be: # No less than 200px wide; # No more than 300px wide; # Screencaps, not promotional images. Character Models Character models should only be used: * if no clear screenshot exists (some characters with only cameo appearances fall into this category) * to illustrate changes in a character design over time as in Batman Source format Use and the appropriate fair use template. = Perspective = This wiki is written in an "in-universe" perspective. Assume you are an omniscient inhabitant of the DC Animated Universe living at a point in time after all events in the DCAU have already occurred, and you are writing an encyclopedia entry. Any "out-of-universe" info is written in an article's Background Information. Articles that deal with exclusively real-world subjects, such as television series, actors, production staff, etc., should be written with a real-world perspective and carry the flag in the first line of the article. Articles # The introductory paragraph should be written from the point of view of the series where the character has the most appearances. # The History section of the main body of the article should describe the character from the first chronological appearance through the last chronological appearance. # Following the History section, there should be Alternate Timeline and Alternate Universe sections where appropriate. If an alternate timeline/universe version is a significant character in its own right, it should be separated into its own article. :::Example: "Savage Time Batman" remains a section in the Batman article, but each of the Justice Lords get their own article.